With 271 million Americans expected to trade in their seats at the dining room table for cushioned chairs at 31,000 feet this summer, the airline industry is scrambling to hire more aircrew members and ensure smoother flights for the expected increase in travelers.
The aviation industry is also adapting to new regulations. President Biden recently signed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, which passed Congress with bipartisan support and aims to provide new consumer protections and make flying less costly.
Why I wrote this
As summer travel gets underway and Americans are expected to fly more, travelers will soon begin to see changes thanks to new federal laws that provide added protections for customers.
Under the new law, the FAA will have to hire more employees and give them more rest time between shifts to retain burned-out workers in air traffic control and flight crew jobs.
Another change is that if a flight is significantly delayed or changed, airlines must refund or book passengers on the next comparable flight at no extra cost, and airlines cannot charge children under 13 a seat selection fee if they sit with an accompanying adult.
John Breyert, vice president of the National Consumer Federation, said travelers can expect more accountability: He would like to see passengers receive more than just smartphone notifications and be better informed about the status of delayed or canceled flights and appropriate refund options.
This summer, 271 million Americans are expected to trade in their seats at the dining room table for cushioned chairs at 31,000 feet high. The travel season is already off to a booming start, with airline traffic expected to be 9% higher than in 2019 over Memorial Day weekend.
The airline industry is expecting a 6.3% increase in air travelers from last summer and is ramping up hiring efforts to boost plane crews and make flights smoother.
But the big airlines are also investing in public relations. While a falling door on an Alaska Airlines Boeing plane and understaffed air traffic control towers have caused an increase in near-misses have spooked many passengers, most of whom still have confidence in the safety of air travel.
Why I wrote this
As summer travel gets underway and Americans are expected to fly more, travelers will soon begin to see changes thanks to new federal laws that provide added protections for customers.
The government bailed out airlines during the pandemic, but airlines have since raised prices and fees faster than the overall rate of inflation. Consumer advocates hope the new law will help. The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, signed by President Biden last week, passed Congress with bipartisan support. The law includes new consumer protections and aims to make flying less costly.
Here's what U.S. passengers can expect when they set off on trips in the coming days, though we don't expect to see the changes in full until holiday travel in 2024 as airlines make adjustments.
How does the law deal with flight delays and cancellations?
One of the main issues affecting flight delays and cancellations is staffing: During the pandemic, airlines initially used layoffs, furloughs and buyouts to reduce staffing, but struggled to hire when travel recovered.
Under the new law, the FAA will have to hire more employees and give them more rest time between shifts to retain burned-out workers in air traffic control and flight crew jobs.
Another change is that if a flight is significantly delayed or changed, airlines must refund passengers or book them on the next comparable flight at no extra cost. Last year, 20% of flights were delayed and about 2% were canceled, according to the Department of Transportation.
John Breyert, vice president of the National Consumer Federation, said travelers can expect more accountability from airlines. He would like to see passengers receive more than just smartphone notifications to better inform them of delays or cancellations and appropriate refund options. The legislation also allows the FAA to increase civil penalties it can levy against airlines that mislead passengers.
Damien Dvarganes/AP/File
Gwendolyn Johnston holds her daughter while waiting to be rebooked on a canceled flight at Los Angeles International Airport on December 27, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
How does this law help families with children?
There are some fees that families with children will be familiar with, such as the extra charge that occurs if a parent asks the airline to seat them next to their child.
The law prohibits airlines from charging children under 13 if they sit with an adult, a change that forced airlines to make, said William J. McGehee, senior fellow for aviation and travel at the Project on American Economic Freedom.
He recalls that during a survey about how parents survive plane travel, one mother said, “We mostly rely on the kindness of strangers.”
Under the new law, customers will also have an extended period to use their airfare credits, and ticket vouchers for canceled or delayed flights will be valid for five years instead of one.
“When airlines cancel or delay flights, they offer vouchers that are only valid for a year or so, which has very limited usefulness given that most consumers only fly about once a year,” Breyer said. The change to vouchers with a validity of five years or more is “a big win for consumers,” he added.
How will the new law ensure safer flying?
The new aviation law requires air traffic controllers to take breaks between shifts and directs the FAA to hire more air traffic controllers, a key step to ensure safer flights. According to the National Aerospace System Safety Review Report, there will be 10 near-miss collisions on runways between late 2022 and early 2023.
The legislation also creates a new assistant secretary for aviation safety, tasked with strengthening inspections of aircraft before takeoff. After a door fell off an Alaska Airlines jet in January, the FAA opened investigations into Spirit Airlines and Boeing, which found they were using unsafe planes with faulty equipment. The hope is that the $105 billion in the FAA will lead to more inspections and, ultimately, safer flights.
Additionally, the FAA will need to devise new evacuation procedures that are in line with the latest guidelines, McGehee said. “This is long overdue and very welcome. Previous models did not include people with disabilities or small children.”
What wasn't included in the law?
Efforts to standardize legroom and seat size did not make it into the final bill, to the chagrin of some consumer advocates.
An attempt to give state attorneys general the power to enforce further regulations on airlines also didn't make it into the final bill due to industry opposition, Breyaert said.
“Given the sheer size of the aviation industry and the number of passengers it carries, we felt there needed to be more oversight,” he said.
The Biden administration is seeking to further crack down on so-called “junk fees” through separate Department of Transportation rules released ahead of the FAA's reauthorization.
The administration announced rules in April that would require airlines to provide transparent price quotes for all fees, including for checked baggage and flight cancellations or changes. This month, several major U.S. airlines sued to block the new rules, arguing that airlines already share those fees and that consumers will be “inundated with information that only complicates the shopping process.”
